Last summer, when the Baltimore-based filmmaker Roger Hayn first reached out to me about releasing his debut feature, Congratulations Debby, I was stunned to learn that almost no one else had seen it yet. Hayn, whose excellent hybrid short Introducing Bobby screened at many prestigious festivals…
Read More“In Color,” by director José Andrés Cardona, throws together a fleeing woman in danger and a baby-faced barber’s apprentice at a 24 hour barber shop for a night of unexpected connections. We asked Cardona how the project began, its barber shop setting, and the unique mix of tones…
Read MoreThe new short documentary by Andrew James, “Community Patrol,” is about a group of Detroit ministers taking back their local streets. We asked James how the project came together, establishing a relationship with his subjects, and what comes next for him…
Read More“Five Secrets to Mom,” by Charles Dillon Ward, uses old family photos and Microsoft Paint as a backdrop for a series of confessions made by an anonymous teenager online. We asked Ward how it started, his use of automated voice, and what secrets he’s living with…
Read MoreThe NEVER-MIND™ is a product that gives your tears a purpose, as illustrated in “Living with the NEVER-MIND,™” a new informercial mock-up by German director Konstantin Enste. We asked him where the idea came from, how he put it into action, and what comes next for him…
Read MoreIn her self-portrait short film, “The Person I Am When No One is Looking,” director Kailee McGee looks to find a separation between her online persona and the real her. We asked McGee about the origins of the project, her history and relationship with social media, and what comes next for her…
Read More“Somebody’s Daughter,” directed by Shalini Adnani, follows a father and daughter into an acting audition, and it becomes a humiliating experience for both. We asked Adnani about how the project got started, how she created a sense of vulnerability, and filming in Mexico City…
Read MoreThe lovely stop-motion gem, “Nevada,” finds its young couple in a birth control predicament, which opens up a series of intimate conversations about their future. We asked director Emily Ann Hoffman about the origins of the project, how she built her animated world, and achieving a realistic relationship with puppets…
Read MoreA self-help exercise that takes place while blindfolded in the middle of an open field is where “Mata Laya Pata” gets its name, as its lead character, Tracy, seeks out the unusual challenge to find motivation and self-worth. We asked director Kevin Vu how it began, the stages of its development, and what comes next for him…
Read More“Unwholly Moments,” by director Andy Rayner, is an unflinching character study about an aspiring actor experiencing a lack of meaningful human connection. We asked Raynor about the projects’s origin, structuring the film without a central narrative, and how he approached its sex scenes…
Read MoreThe raggedy punk coming-of-age drama, “This is Not a Love Song,” finds its teen lead in a spirited effort to get to her first show in the city. We asked director Ursula Ellis how she got into movies, how this project started, and her punk influences…
Read MoreIn the cringey comedy, “A Good Dinner Party,” by director Zane Rubin, a group of L.A. friends discuss the possibility of taking their friendship to the next level. We asked Rubin her thoughts on dinner parties, awkward sexual scenarios, and what comes next for her…
Read More“Sad Kids,” by directors Alexander Laird and Alexander Swift, is a zany, fun-loving mock-up of a kids TV show from Canada, completely convincing if not for its slippages of profanity and references to masturbation. We asked Laird and Swift how the project came to be, how they form their ideas, and their “twist” ending…
Read MoreThe brilliant and strangely disturbing, “Allen Anders - Live at the Comedy Castle (circa 1987),” presents the on-stage meltdown (or quality performance, if you prefer) of a “professional” comedian. We asked the film’s director, Laura Moss, and its writer and star, Tony Grayson…
Read MoreThe boldly disorientating while still endearing, “Discontinuity” by director Lori Felker concerns the details that get lost in the edits of life. We asked Felker about the original inspiration, her interest in things that don’t make sense, and how she created the unique mix of tones…
Read MoreThe deconstructionist “Two or Three Women,” by director Zoe Bullock, presents a press interview between two women and an offscreen male voice, intended to discuss a recent theater project. We asked Bullock how it began, and about its layers of performance and self-awareness…
Read MoreWith “Still Moves” and “The Land of XYZ,” director Daniel Freeman introduces us to the Experimental Institute of Eastern Californiart, which aims to put the creative spotlight on an oft-overlooked section of the great state of California. We asked Freeman how the projects began, the percentage of real vs fiction, and what comes next for the Institute…
Read MoreThe vibrant “Yanvalou” finds an awkward computer programming enrolling in a dance class to make a connection with his neighbor. We asked director Angeline Gragasin how the project started, her interest in juxtaposing dance culture with startup culture, and what’s next for her…
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